A student group has blasted Bristol University’s “reckless” decision to change sexual consent classes for freshers.

Members of the Bristol University Intersectional Feminist Society say they are concerned about changes to consent sessions as a large number of students still arrive at university with “scant education” on the subject.

The university had previously run a sexual consent quiz and workshop for new students. While not officially classed as ‘mandatory’, freshers were “expected to attend” the sessions.

However, this year the institute has developed a new workshop which combines the topics of sexual consent, drug, alcohol, community living and personal safety.

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Consent is also raised in online e-introduction sessions which each new student has to take and the university claims it is working on a number of initiatives to keep the issue “firmly on the agenda” throughout the year.

The university say twice as many students have attended the new-style workshop, but the feminist group claim the institute “holds survivors in complete disregard” for not providing a dedicated session.

In a statement, the society said: “The consent workshops should not be scrapped for a number of reasons. The most glaringly obvious one is this: we have thousands of new students coming to Bristol in September.

“Any one of them could be a survivor. Any one of them could be a potential perpetrator of sexual violence.”

The group feel that consent needs to be discussed in-depth and through “multiple” conversations or sessions.

The feminist society has also raised fears that the ‘consent conversation’ will instead be passed on to student groups which does not have the resources to adequately tackle it.

A Bristol University spokesperson said: “The issue of consent is covered through our mandatory e-induction for all new students living in University accommodation. It’s also covered in our UniSmart presentations which are held for all students during Welcome Week.

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“We take the issue of consent very seriously and hope these interventions will set a positive tone and culture around sexual consent, and help students think about and make more informed choices in their relationships at a time when they are also having to deal with many of the other exciting opportunities and challenges associated with starting University.

“Alongside Bristol SU we are also developing further initiatives for the coming year, to ensure that the issue of consent remains firmly on the agenda.”